Why Would Any Doctor Want to Practice in this State?
Doctors are fleeing, and they have good reason to. Which state has this sad mark of distinction?
Charles Sullivan | January 4, 2026
Troubled New Mexico has another significant worry: It’s losing its doctors. In 2024, it was the only state to have fewer doctors than it had in 2019. The number lost was 248, significant for a state of just 2.1 million.
What gives? Why is N.M. losing physicians? The short answer is below: average pay, miserable public schools, out-of-control crime. Here’s a deeper dive.
Med school graduates leave school with enormous debt. The average combined undergraduate and medical school debt of a recent graduate is a whopping $246,659.
Using an online calculator with a principal sum of $247,000, an interest rate of 8.54%, and a 10-year loan term, the monthly payment is $3,070; the total of payments over 10 years is $368,000; and the interest amount paid is $121,000. For a 20-year loan term, the numbers are $2,150; $516,000; and $269,000.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/why_would_any_doctor_want_to_practice_in_this_state.html
